hold on for dear love
by shiksa goddess
Summary: cause I've got some fire left in me/ in which Austin and Ally have to settle for plan B. Auslly.


**Disclaimer: Sooo not mine.**

"_What if it's not all I dreamed it to be?" _

_"It will be." _

_"And what if it is?" _

_"Well, that's the good part, I guess. You get to find a new dream." _

-Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, Tangled

/

Austin Moon is twenty-two, rich, and lost.

After six years of devoting his life to a career, he realizes that he has nowhere else to go. No college, no job... and the money would only last so long.

He lands in Miami and is instantly home again. It's one of the the first flights he's taken without security or first-class in years. It's almost liberating.

He gets a few stares on his way out of the airport- to be expected, people don't just forget a face like _Austin Moon. _

Then he sees her, and it's all okay again. He missed her. So much.

She looks up, and smiles. She runs from her car over to the ex-superstar, and throws her arms around his neck in a typical Ally fashion. It's like his missing piece finally rejoined the puzzle.

He's not sure he's supposed to feel this strongly about his best friend. But then again, he wasn't sure they'd ever really been _just friends._

"How was your flight?" She mumbles into his shoulder, which is about as tall as she can reach.

He chuckles. "It was great, Als."

"Why are you smiling?"

He pulls her tighter to his chest. _This_ is what he'd been missing.

"I'm just really, really happy to see you."

/

He agrees to do one last interview. He knew he'd be bombarded with questions, so he was just crossing his fingers that this would help make them subside.

Then he actually did the interview and it honestly made him want to cry.

"So, Austin, why _are _you leaving the music biz?" The reporter questions.

"I was drop- it was just my time to step down." He covers quickly.

"Well, I mean, it just seems like an awfully quick exit. We get that you want to take a break (yeah, that's it, he wants to take a break from living the one dream he'd had his whole life), but you're just going to end it like this? No comeback tour, no transition to movies in the works? Nothing?"

It's a simple interview, but it feels like an interrogation. He's sweaty and nervous and self-conscious and his only salvation is Ally, who's standing in the corner giving him a little thumbs-up dance thing. He half-smiles.

"No. I just- I think it was just my time to leave."

The reporter laughs, confused. "You say that like you're an old geezer. You're only twenty-two, Austin, you've got your whole life ahead of you. What _are _you going to do now? What's your plan B?"

This is the same question he's been mulling over in his head since Jimmy dropped him from the label.

"Honestly, I have no idea."

The studio is silent.

"So I'm going to do what most twenty-two year olds do. I'm going to consider my options and try to do what's right for me and wing it from there."

The reporter nods. "Well, that's all we have time for. Thanks for being here, Austin."

"My pleasure."

It is only when he and Ally are driving home that he realizes it's the first interview where he hasn't been asked to sing in over six years.

/

He watches Ally flourish. Even without him to write songs for, she is in her Golden Age. She's young and pretty with an NYU diploma in hand with a resume including running a family business almost singlehandedly and writing songs for the biggest stars in the business.

She does a few interviews herself. Over the last seven years, she'd garnered some attention of her own, and apparently, people were wondering what was to become of the female half of the tour du force.

"So are you still writing songs?

"Yeah, I am. The same way I was eight years ago, for myself only, in my songbook."

Austin stares at his tv screen in awe.

"You mean you're not going to be writing songs professionally anymore?"

Ally sighs. "Austin and I are a team. I don't want to write for another artist without writing for him."

"But we've heard that you've been offered deals from major record labels. You're willing to sacrifice that for Austin?"

This is when she chokes up. "Yes. He gave up so much for me, even when we were just getting started. It's my turn. It's not even a hard decision. I know he'd do the same for me in a heartbeat."

The director starts giving the interviewer a "wrap-it-up" signal.

"Well, Ally, that's all we have time for, but we've loved having you here and we hope that some day, we'll hear more from you and Austin."

/

When Ally walks through the door of the Sonic Boom, he's sitting on the counter.

"Why?"

Ally takes her knit hat off and places it on the counter, exasperatedly. "Why what?" She asks, combing her fingers through her brown locks.

"You know what. Why in the hell did you just give up your whole career for me?"

She sighs in annoyance. "Didn't I explain this already? Because I love you, Austin, and you would do it for me. Besides, we're a team."

He wraps her in a long, warm embrace, and tries not to let her see him cry.

"You, Ally Maria Dawson, are the best human being to ever walk this planet."

She smiles and holds him closer. "And you, Austin Moon, are the sweetest and coolest guy in the world. Now, if you could let me go, I need to clock in for my shift."

/

He knows that he is lucky. He can tell, because he is thinking about this in his chaise lounge by the pool of his Miami beach house, which is not something most twenty-two year olds- or most people, for that matter- have the luxury of owning.

But sometimes he can't help but feel useless. He's not sure how he could've had such a quick decline. Six years isn't a substantial career.

He, unlike Ally, didn't go to college. He didn't know what to do with his life after this. The best thing about him was Ally. She was like, his only redeeming quality.

She is the only thing that keeps him from falling into a depression, and the only one getting him out of bed in the morning.

Literally.

She wouldn't let him just lay around all day-even though he had the means to- so she makes him the official third Sonic Boom employee.

He ended up taking over a lot of shifts, because Ally was always out _doing _something or _being _somewhere or _making a difference. _

Maybe it wasn't fair of him, but he guesses he always thought she'd just be right there waiting for him, ready to accomodate to his needs, reluctantly or not.

Maybe he just wasn't ready for this. Ally was growing into herself. Evolving. Changing.

And him? He was stagnant.

/

When summer ends, he registers for classes at the community college.

Mostly of his own will, but Ally does prod him a little.

A lot of the girls in his classes offer him numbers and dates and sure, they're "pretty" with tanned, skinny arms and perfectly straightened hair and if he was still a freshman in high school, he would be all over that.

But this was now and none of these girls chew their hair or write songs about butterflies and smell like Christmas cookies.

And while technically he was single, his heart belonged to Ally.

College is good for him. He starts realizing things about himself, things beyond pancakes and singing. He starts considering his options, thinking about the next step.

It's gratifying. He gets to live a normal life again, but he also had all these experiences that came with being a huge pop star.

He balances work at the Sonic Boom and school and of course reserves time for his girl.

Austin and Ally time doesn't just go away.

Sometimes he'll just catch up with her in their old practice room and he knows she sll writes songs, but she tries to hide it so he doesn't feel bad.

Sure, maybe he has a twinge of nostalgia every now and then, of the way it used to be when they were fifteen, where she would shield her songbook and he would purposely sit just a little too close and make their hands touch.

But it's ok, because she's still Ally and she's still innocent and still beautiful, and out of all the things that have changed in his life recently, he thanks his lucky stars she's still a constant.

He watches her from the doorway sometimes, reminiscent of their early days in the practice room.

She sings a sweet melody and her eyes are closed and she's so _infatuated_ in what she's doing and he's so _infatuated _with everything she is.

How could he ever be worthy of something so perfect?

The song stops. "Omigod, Austin! How long have you been standing there?"

He doesn't answer her, he just looks at the amp that once crushed his ankle, and he notices that she's wearing the purple floral dress he'd always loved on her.

"Dance with me."

Ally gets up from the piano bench. "What?"

He waves his outstretched palm in front of her. "Dance with me."

She looks at him skeptically, rasing her eyebrows. "Are you sure you want to do that? I haven't taken that amp out, and I don't think I've really improved coordination-wise."

He smirks. "I want you to dance with me."

"Well.. I mean..okay."

He shuffles through his phone until he finds _Can I Have This Dance _from HSM3.

He grabs her petite waist gently, and guides her to the music.

"Austin, why is this even on your playlist?"

"Hush, just focus on the dance."

They sway back and forth, just like he taught her those six years ago.

Her eyes glimmer under the fluorescent lights.

He starts singing with the music. "_And with every step together" _

Ally giggles and joins in _"we just keep on getting better."_

The song comes to a close, and he spins her around. "Ready for the dip?"

She scowls at him.

He chuckles. "I promise I won't drop you this time."

And he doesn't. She smiles up at him and he wants to kiss her right there, but it's just not the right time.

_"_I'd better head on out. Exams are next week."

She hands him his bag. "Ugh, sounds so fun. Call me if you need any help, ok?"

"Will do."

/

She knows she loves him. Scratch that, she knows she's _in _love with him, but she doesn't think there's ever going to be a right time to tell him.

_So what, _she thinks. _You're just going to live your whole life based on other's decisions, because you can't stick up for yourself? _

Yes, she responds. That's how it always works.

/

Two years later, neither one's said anything and it's starting to dawn on him that maybe it's now or never.

She comes to his graduation by herself, and he thanks God that she didn't bring Dallas along this time.

Unfortunately, Austin finds, Dallas left his presence there in the form of a diamond ring.

_"You're what? You're getting married? To that scumbag?!"_

Austin is laying down in her bathtub, and he's welcomed by the inconsistent dripping of her faucet, leaving watery trails down his cheeks.

Or maybe it's just tears, he can't tell.

'Austin, I know you're mad, but just because you don't like him doesn't mean he's a total scumbag."

"Why, Ally? Why are you so eager to marry this guy?"

"Who said I was? Austin, he was my plan B! I was sick and tired of waiting for a guy I could never have a chance with! And by that, I mean you! Ten years I waited, hoping my love wasn't as unrequited as I thought, but turns out it was. Don't you think that if this was two years ago, and you asked me to marry you, I would've said yes in a heartbeat?"

"_You know you got my heart beat, beating like that." _

He tries to drown her out and also remind her of what once was.

"Austin..."

_"I can get your heart beat beating like that." _

"This doesn't mean you're not my best friend, Austin."

_"Like ayye, ayye."_

He stops.

They sit there in silence for a while, Ally sitting on the closed toilet seat and Austin in the bathtub and it is honestly one of the most awkward situations Ally's ever been in.

Austin breaks the silence by scoffing quietly.

"What?"

"Nothing." He says coldly.

"I just can't believe you're so oblivious to how in love I am with you."

"I could say the same to you."

Austin sits up. "Actually, you can't. Because I'm telling you that I am in love with you. Present tense. I am standing here, heart on my sleeve, telling a girl who's engaged to another guy, how much I love her, and would do anything to make her happy.

But you can't tell me that. Because you love someone else. Not me."

Ally stutters. "A-Austin, you know I love you, but I couldn't keep waiting. And you knew I was seeing, Dallas, why didn't you ever tell me before?"

Austin groans. "Oh, my God, Ally. I did it because I love you and he made you happy and he's always been who you wanted and I couldn't ruin that for you. But I am tired of pretending and no matter what, I needed to tell you. And I can't even be mad at you because you're still my Ally and all I want is for you to be happy and that no one ever hurts you and-"

He takes a deep inhale and he realizes that he's sobbing. He, Austin Moon, is sobbing.

Ally's crying too, and she is helpless and scared and feels horribly guilty.

"Austin, I-"

He climbs out of the bathtub and rushes out. "I just need some space."

/

She calls a few times.

He doesn't answer.

/

The seventeenth dress is her favorite. It's strapless and beaded on top, with a long, flowy skirt.

She turns around to face her fiancee, her face radiating with satisfaction.

She knows it's supposed to be bad luck for him to see her wedding dress, but Trish and Dez are filming a movie in New Zealand and Austin's not returning her calls.

"So, what do you think?" She smiles widely.

Dallas looks up from his laptop, where he's been writing some business email or whatever and scrutinizes her.

"I mean, it's pretty enough on the bottom, but the top looks like you're trying too hard." He looks back down at his computer.

Her smile falters. "Oh."

Rosa, the employee helping her on her dress hunt, shakes her head.

"He doesn't like this, he doesn't like that, gosh, are you sure you want to marry _him?_"

It seemed like a rude question, but all Ally can think about is how Austin would tell her how she looked beautiful in all of them and she'd have seventeen different options and how the seamstress would tell her she was lucky to have him and she would nod exuberantly and say "I know" and she would be the happiest girl on Earth.

But this is Dallas.

And she's starting to question why she accepted this proposal in the first place.

"Honestly, Rosa, I can't say I am."

/

Three days before Austin starts his new job as a band director at Marino Middle (because he was just _not _taking over Moon's Mattress Kingdom, ever) he's called upon to perform at a New Year's Eve bash, sponsored by Dallas' parents company, by Dallas' parents. He didn't think he'd ever be performing again, and he was starting to think he didn't want to, but they offered him _a lot _of money and they said they were desperate, Maroon 5 had cancelled and he was the best entertainment they could get in such short notice.

He wants to say no, but he's Austin Moon and he's the good guy.

So he accepts, even after realizing that Ally and Dallas will probably be there.

So he performs Billion Hits and The Way That You Do and he's forgotten how exhilarating it feels to be onstage. He garners more attention than he though he would, but most importantly, he sees Ally, right up front, clapping and smiling, with the same sparkle in her eye and he smiles at her, because it's _Ally._

She smiles back and for the first time since she's been engaged, she feels so sublimely happy and she remembers that this is how Austin always made her feel.

Dallas comes over and wraps his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. Austin takes notice of how the smile on her face seems to fall.

Dallas' arm snakes dangerously close to her butt and she slaps his arm away.

"Geez, babe chill! Just having a little fun." He grins wildly.

"Yeah, whole damn lot of fun."

As the party continues on, she spends the whole time talking to Dallas' parents and Dallas' friends and she keeps seeing him out of the corner of her eye and he can see that she's not happy. A couple times, he flashes her a small, sympathetic smile and she wants so desperately to go over and hug him, but Dallas' arm is securing her to him, so she just smiles back.

She can't believe that when she was fifteen, this was exactly what she'd wanted.

My, how ten years can change you.

/

He loves his job. He's only been band director for a few weeks- the old director decided to take a sabbatical after the birth of her daughter- but he thinks he loves it almost as much as being a pop star.

Of course, it pays _way _less, but it's rewarding in so many ways that being a megastar could never provide.

He loves these kids. He loves watching them grow and helping them adjust their technique so they hit that note perfectly and now he knows why Ally was always so happy to tutor her students.

Of course, the students take well to him, too. The girls especially. It's not everyday you get to have your childhood crush as your band teacher.

/

By March, she has everything ready for the wedding that's not for four months. To her, every detail is perfect, the dress, the flowers...

Everything except the husband.

Dallas didn't agree on any of her decisions, but he didn't seem to have any opinions of his own.

She'd come home from work everyday and his boxers would be strewn around the bedroom and he'd leave the toothpaste cap on the counter and the floor would have puddles from when he showered and suddenly kind eyes and floppy hair just isn't enough to make her happy.

Besides, she knows another guy with those qualities.

She's never sure where he actually is. He feeds off his parents' money without really doing much work- the cellphone cart was just a punishment.

One day she comes home and hears giggling. High-pitched, _female _giggling.

When she finds another girl in their bed, she honestly can't say she's surprised.

Dallas sits in silence, watching her pack. She drowns out his protests and pleas and half-assed apologies with her own thoughts.

It's her fault, she rationalizes. Maybe if she wasn't such a pushover, maybe if she knew how to say no, she wouldn't be in this situation.

Matter of fact, she probably wouldn't even be engaged.

She fills her black duffel bag and leaves without saying a word to him. She doesn't cry, she won't give him the satisfaction.

It's dark outside, but she drives seemingly without a destination, wandering the streets of Miami.

But really, her heart knows exactly where it's going.

/

It's the night of the spring concert and the kids play everything right and his heart swells because _he did this, _by himself and he imagines how proud Ally would be.

He starts to close the concert, but the drum major interrupts.

"Actually, Mr. Moon, we have a special surprise for you, if you don't mind."

Austin looks at his students, bewildered. "Well, yeah, go ahead." He has no clue what to expect.

Suddenly they play out the first few notes of _Double Take _and he just thinks of Ally and how much he misses her and he has to fight back tears quite a few times.

When they finish, he smiles so brightly and he claps so hard his palms sting.

"I really love you guys."

He wishes Ally could see it.

/

He pulls into his huge driveway, and there on his front stoop is all his prayers answered.

He can only see the parts of her face that his garden lights illuminate but he can tell that a)she's been crying and b) she's more gorgeous than he remembered.

She stands up and he notices that she has a suitcase by her feet.

As he walks across the grass to get to her, she starts choking out an explanation.

"I- I didn't know where else to go. No, screw that, this was the only place I wanted to go. I'm scared and I'm heartbroken and I've tried not to cry all night but it's so hard, Austin and you are the only person I'd want to talk to about this and I know you probably hate me but-"

He cuts her off by wrapping her in the biggest hug he can and she immediately sobs into his tux.

He lets her cry until her sobs subside, stroking her hair all the while.

"Ally Maria Dawson, I could never hate you. Ever."

More tears flow from her eyes, but this time, not from sadness, but because he is Austin and he loves her more than she ever thought anyone could ever love her.

"You know, Ally, I always thought if I had to stop singing, my world would end. But.. I don't know, I think I found out that losing my best friend was a lot worse."

Ally laughs. "I'm actually glad you never had a Plan B."

He holds her tighter. "Not when Plan A has been here the whole time."

He breaks their embrace to pick up her suitcase from his porch step. Unlocking the front door to the mansion, he ushers Ally in.

"M'lady?"

He grabs her waist and pulls her onto the couch and she barely remembers who Dallas is.

She looks around and looks at Austin, and she realizes-she is home.

fin.

**A/N lol that ending.  
****I'm sorry if it seems really rushed, but I have literally been working on this story since my birthday.  
****In March.  
****So I REALLY wanted to finish it.  
****I'd like to add here that I don't know what I'm doing. And also, this was originally supposed to focus on Austin and his life after being a popstar and it was originally called Plan B, but I mean I had to add an Ally plot in here too. And I also didn't want to name my story after contraception.  
****So Happy New Year's, guys, and I can't wait to fangirl with all of you over the upcoming Auslly arc.**

(:Tessa:)


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